Credits are your daily usage budget on campusGenAI. When you chat with an AI model, the model consumes tokens—and tokens draw down your credit balance. You do not need to manage this actively; it may just be helpful to understand why some conversations feel "heavier" than others.
What are credits?
Credits are your spending balance on the platform. You have 5,000,000 credits available, which is enough for basic, every day AI use. Your balance only refills if you run out entirely, so for most users, it simply stays in the background and never becomes an issue.
You can check your current balance at any time by clicking your profile in the lower-left corner of the platform.
What are tokens?
Tokens are the unit AI models use to measure language. Every word (or part of a word) in your message, any files you attach, and the model's response back to you—all of that is counted in tokens. A short question might use a few hundred tokens; a long document summary could use tens of thousands.
You can see the token count for each message directly in chat, so you always have a live sense of how much a conversation is using.
How do credits and tokens connect?
When a model processes your conversation, it uses tokens—and your credit balance is charged to cover that cost. More tokens used equals more credits spent.
There is no fixed exchange rate because the relationship depends on two things:
| Factor | Effect on credit usage |
|---|---|
| Model choice | More powerful (and more expensive) models cost more credits per token. |
| Prompt complexity | Longer messages, attached files, and detailed requests generate more tokens. |
Example: A quick conversation to a standard model might use a small fraction of your daily credits, but running a lengthy research summary through a premium model will use noticeably more—use you would still rarely hit your daily limit in normal use.
What should I actually do with this information?
- Check the token count in chat if a conversation feels slow or unexpectedly large—it is a useful signal.
- Choose your model thoughtfully for heavy tasks. A lighter model is often sufficient for drafting, summarizing, or brainstorming. See our Model Quick Guide for information on what models are more or less costly.
- If you receive a low-balance notification, you may be able to request more credits. Reach out to your institution's admin directly.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Credit limits and refill schedules are configured by your institution's administrator and may differ from the defaults described here.
- Your data is never used to train AI models, regardless of how many credits or tokens you use.
